Road Test: Mitsubishi Lancer 1.8 INVEX

Bigger plant, more power. Auto 'box, more comfort! Though HM and Mitsubishi have often traced the antecedents of the Indian Lancer to its WRC and APRC counterparts, the original car felt distinctly underpowered with its 1.5-litre mill, a grouse we have voiced frequently in the past. The upgrade then is definitely a far better effort than one expected. Displacing 1834cc, the 4-cylinder SOHC unit is quite an efficient and able performer. This completely new engine with 81mm x 89mm long stroke cylinder measurements churns out a heady max power output of 118.3PS@5500rpm and max torque of 162Nm@4000rpm endowing it with some of the biggest muscles in its class. Drive is transmitted through a 4-speed auto 'box with the tiptronic style shift. Wonders never cease, as this box has been built under license from Porsche. This box has the auto mode for those who want to indulge in the comforts only an automatic shift can afford or at the single flick of the wrist, you shift the chunky gear knob to the left and slip the car into the tiptronic mode with four speeds at your beck and call. However the shift character differs for either mode. In automatic the shift quality and the resulting power delivery to the front wheels feels seamless. In manual there is a definite lag while shifting from first to second and second to third gears. There are a couple of features unique to this gearbox. The first is where the INVECS or Intelligent and Innovative Electronic Control System comes into play. INVEX is purely marketspeak since HM decided that INVECS did not have the right ring for the badging. This system quite simply uses an adaptive shift control software through the ECU to gauge the driving inputs it receives initially and subsequently adjusts the shift timings. Quite remarkable but the erratic traffic situations we drive in do not let the INVECS system come into its own. Yet another feature unique to this gearbox is that in manual mode you can hold the gear for as long as you wish without the transmission automatically shifting up, though while decelerating the gears will automatically shift down to ensure the engine does not stall. All the same the tranny will not let you upshift to a higher gear unless you're above 2000rpm nor will it let you drop the gear if you are well above 2000rpm. This unique feature helps enhance the efficiency of the engine not to mention reducing the wear and tear on parts such as the clutch and pressure plates thus prolonging engine life. The new engine and tranny in the Lancer 1.8 INVEX combine to form a completely unassuming and volatile package as the performance figures in following section will reveal. This car has simply been too long coming for HM.

Bigger plant, more power. Auto 'box, more comfort!

Though HM and Mitsubishi have often traced the antecedents of the Indian Lancer to its WRC and APRC counterparts, the original car felt distinctly underpowered with its 1.5-litre mill, a grouse we have voiced frequently in the past. The upgrade then is definitely a far better effort than one expected. Displacing 1834cc, the 4-cylinder SOHC unit is quite an efficient and able performer. This completely new engine with 81mm x 89mm long stroke cylinder measurements churns out a heady max power output of 118.3PS@5500rpm and max torque of 162Nm@4000rpm endowing it with some of the biggest muscles in its class.

Drive is transmitted through a 4-speed auto 'box with the tiptronic style shift. Wonders never cease, as this box has been built under license from Porsche. This box has the auto mode for those who want to indulge in the comforts only an automatic shift can afford or at the single flick of the wrist, you shift the chunky gear knob to the left and slip the car into the tiptronic mode with four speeds at your beck and call. However the shift character differs for either mode. In automatic the shift quality and the resulting power delivery to the front wheels feels seamless. In manual there is a definite lag while shifting from first to second and second to third gears.

There are a couple of features unique to this gearbox. The first is where the INVECS or Intelligent and Innovative Electronic Control System comes into play. INVEX is purely marketspeak since HM decided that INVECS did not have the right ring for the badging. This system quite simply uses an adaptive shift control software through the ECU to gauge the driving inputs it receives initially and subsequently adjusts the shift timings. Quite remarkable but the erratic traffic situations we drive in do not let the INVECS system come into its own.

Yet another feature unique to this gearbox is that in manual mode you can hold the gear for as long as you wish without the transmission automatically shifting up, though while decelerating the gears will automatically shift down to ensure the engine does not stall. All the same the tranny will not let you upshift to a higher gear unless you're above 2000rpm nor will it let you drop the gear if you are well above 2000rpm. This unique feature helps enhance the efficiency of the engine not to mention reducing the wear and tear on parts such as the clutch and pressure plates thus prolonging engine life.

The new engine and tranny in the Lancer 1.8 INVEX combine to form a completely unassuming and volatile package as the performance figures in following section will reveal. This car has simply been too long coming for HM.

Back

Top